new laptop for wife, thinking macpro

with christmas time fast approaching i am running out of time. i would like to get my wife a new laptop for christmas just don't know which one yet. i was thinking dell, sony, and macpro. she is a stay at home mom, takes care of my house and kid, and puts up with me deploying all the time, so she deserves something nice, doesn't do photo stuff (but i do and currently own a viao, no macs in the house). all she really does is play facebook games, on facebook, and will be going to school in the new year (can get microsoft office apple for like $20 through air force) i know the mac would probably be way more than she needs. but was wondering if spending a little more know would save more in the long run. having never own a mac anything (exception iphone and love it) what kind of life expectancy can we expect from the macpro, i've read they last a long time. i know she won't need to upgrade to the latest and great every year or every other year for that matter. more or less she will be using it to surf the net untill it just crashes or becomes so outdated it could go into the smithsouinin(bad spelling i know, lol) so any input would be great.

If she will be carrying it around a lot i'd look at the MAc book air. It will have plenty of power to do the things you listed and super light and has instant on. Keep in mind though that Macs have a sealed battery and you eventually need to take it in for service. I would also recomend their apple care.

thanks for the info, i'll look into the air, do you know if it's as sturdy as the pro, i ask this with a 2 year old in mind, you just never know what they are going to get their hands on.

also i just read a little bit about the lenovo line (ibm think pad i think) i like the spill resistant keypad, anyone have any feedback on these, i know they alot cheaper

IMO the Lenovo would hold up better than the MBA. It has a very thin lid and body that could be damaged easily. The MBP is extremely sturdy, but it doesn't have a solid state hard drive. The lenovo with a solid state drive would be an awesome choice. And would be
Faster than the MacBooks.

murtaugh wrote in post #13517917
thanks for the info, i'll look into the air, do you know if it's as sturdy as the pro, i ask this with a 2 year old in mind, you just never know what they are going to get their hands on.

The MacBook Air has the same unibody aluminum enclosure technology as the MacBook and MacBook Pro models. Having had three two year olds at various times of my life, I don't know any computer that could survive them if they're just left alone with them. My wife's MacBook Pro made it through, though.

Which Lenovo are you looking at? Do you have a link to it? One very nice thing about Mac OS X is its ability to offload work that historically has been done only by the cpu to the gpu using Open CL. Provided the apps are written to take advantage of it (and not many are at this point) you can get substantial performance benefits. Expect this to be leveraged more and more in the future.

i currently don't have a link because if i get it, it will be through the BX website and you need a login to gain access to the site, here is the basica specs, i got the model number but couldn't find anything on the Lenovo website if you wouldn't mind letting me know what you think it would be greatly appreciated

price $565 free shipping and tax free
model: X214J
basic specs: Lenovo 15.6" Intel Core i3-370M 2.40 GHz 500 GB ThinkPad Edge LED Notebook - Black

indepth specs:
Brilliant business laptops.

Rock-solid reliability. Blazing-fast performance. Clever manageability tools. We pack a lot of intelligent features into every ThinkPad laptop and tablet so you get more out. More productivity, more cost savings, more IT headache-busting. That is why a ThinkPad investment is not just smart. It is pure genius.

Product Model: 031926U

Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Professional

Processor & Chipset

•Processor Manufacturer: Intel
•Processor Type: Core i3
•Processor Model: i3-370M
•Processor Speed: 2.40 GHz
•Processor Core: Dual-core (2 Core)
•Cache: 3 MB
•Direct Media Interface: 2.50 GT/s
•64-bit Processing: Yes
•Hyper-Threading: Yes
•Chipset Manufacturer: Intel
•Chipset Model: HM55 Express
Memory

•Standard Memory: 4 GB
•Maximum Memory: 8 GB
•Memory Technology: DDR3 SDRAM
•Memory Standard: DDR3-1066/PC3-8500
•Number of Total Memory Slots: 2
•Memory Card Reader: Yes
•Memory Card Supported
◦Memory Stick
◦xD-Picture Card
◦Memory Stick PRO
◦Multimedia Card (MMC)
◦xD-Picture Card Type H
◦Secure Digital (SD) Card
◦Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
Storage

•Hard Drive Capacity: 500 GB
•Hard Drive Interface: Serial ATA/300
•Hard Drive RPM: 5400
•Optical Drive Type: DVD-Writer
•Optical Media Supported: DVD±R/±RW
Display & Graphics

•Screen Size: 15.6"
•Display Screen Type: Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
•Aspect Ratio: 16:9
•Screen Mode: WXGA
•Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768
•Backlight Technology: LED
•HDCP Supported: Yes
•Graphics Controller Manufacturer: Intel
•Graphics Controller Model: Graphics Media Accelerator HD
•Graphics Memory Technology: DDR3 SDRAM
•Graphics Memory Accessibility: Shared
Network & Communication

•Wi-Fi: Yes
•Wi-Fi Manufacturer: Lenovo
•Wi-Fi Standard: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
•Ethernet Technology: Gigabit Ethernet
I/O Expansions

•Expansion Slot Type: ExpressCard/34
Built-in Devices

•Webcam: Yes
•Microphone: Yes
•Speakers: Yes
Interfaces/Ports

•HDMI: Yes
•Total Number of USB Ports: 4
•Number of USB 2.0 Ports: 4
•VGA: Yes
•Network (RJ-45): Yes
•Modem (RJ-11): No
•Audio Line Out: Yes
•eSATA/USB Combo: Yes
Software

•Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Professional
•Operating System Architecture: 64-bit
•Software Included
◦Rescue and Recovery
◦Access Connections
◦Password Manager
◦ThinkVantage Power Manager
◦ThinkVantage System Update
◦ThinkVantage Toolbox
◦Norton Internet Security 2011 (30 days of virus definitions)
◦Adobe Reader
◦Adobe Flash Player
◦Skype for Windows
◦Microsoft Office 2010 Preloaded with Product Key Ready (O10PKR)
◦Microsoft Research AutoCollage Touch
Input Devices

•Keyboard: Yes
•Pointing Device Type
◦TouchPad
◦Trackpoint
•TouchPad Features
◦Multi-touch Gesture
Battery Information

•Number of Cells: 6-cell
•Battery Chemistry: Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)
•Maximum Battery Run Time: 4.50 Hour
Power Description

•Input Voltage
◦110 V AC
◦220 V AC
•Maximum Power Supply Wattage
◦65 W
Security Features:

•Security Keyhole
•Power-on Password
•Hard Disk Password
•Supervisor Password
Green Compliant: Yes

Green Compliance Certificate/Authority:

•RoHS
•EPEAT Gold
•Energy Star
Includes

•ThinkPad Edge 15 031926U Notebook
•Lithium Ion Battery
•AC Adapter
•Standard Warranty: 1 Year Limited
Color: Matte Black

Size: 1 1/2" H x 15" W x 9 3/4" D (approx.)

Weight: 5.50 lbs. (approx.)

Do you need Win 7 Pro vs. Win 7 Home Premium?
If not, you could probably find a 15" Core i3 for under $500.

not really sure that pro is needed, but i know i get a $100 gift card if i spend at least $500, plus the other options i have avaible have 320gb hard drives

i am defiantly leaning towards the lenovo after reading most of the day today about them, and watching some videos on youtube they seem to be pretty respectible machines. hek might even build me one for photo/video work once my viao crashes (sad thing is the darn thing won't crash)

Lenovo make good laptops that are a lot cheaper than a mac pro, and will do the job fine. 4GB RAM minimum, Win7 home, if you want it really fast upgrade to a Seagate hybrid drive and it'll still be cheaper than a mac and faster too.

Macbook air would work, or one of the new thin PC's from Sony/Lenovo would be nice too. We haul one (sometimes two) of three Macbook Air's with us all over the place - they're very durable and easy to carry.
We run CS5 on them, runs fine.

Honestly, IMO, I would stay away from Mac. I say this not because I dislike the product itself, it is the product support that is lacking. I bought a macbook in 2007, took it in to Apple Store because it needed a new battery last week and was Literally laughed at while being told that this laptop as of 4 days will become what they term "antique". I had NEVER heard that term before and when I sheepishly asked as not to sound like a complete dork, what that meant, I was told it meant that in 4 days APple will no longer offer ANY SUPPORT for this computer. In other words, they will not fix it if I need to bring it in, or supply parts for it. Sure, I COULD take it to an authorized Apple repair center but it is the point that Apple will not support anything older then 5 yrs old. Another thing is that Macs have OS updates seemingly every year and if you don't keep up, and miss the boat you're basically SCREWED if you DO want to upgrade eventually. having said that I've barely had ANY issues with it and it has been a GREAT computer but for the price, I could have bought 3-4 dell/sony laptops with comparable abilities AND longer support from Microsoft. Apple sells GREAT products and has a VERY SLICK marketing dept. but in the end, unless you are willing to upgrade your product every other year, you will be left in the dust and laughed at. Just my 2 cents. Also, if your wife DOES NOT do photo editing, I would steer you back to a PC as there isn;t anything really special about a Mac.

Buying batteries from Apple is like buying RAM from Apple. Just Say No.

http://eshop.macsales.​com/shop/Apple/Laptop/​Batteries

Oh believe me I did not buy from apple. They wanted to sell me one at $130 but I said screw that and bought one on eBay for $30 as good. Screw Apple. Never get another penny from THIS guy. Oh and it was "vintage" not antique" like I said. Macs have a useful lifespan of 3 yrs as far as Apple is concerned then it's " time to get a Mac"! They don't have that slogan for no reason afterall!

tim wrote in post #13520651
Lenovo make good laptops that are a lot cheaper than a mac pro, and will do the job fine. 4GB RAM minimum, Win7 home, if you want it really fast upgrade to a Seagate hybrid drive and it'll still be cheaper than a mac and faster too.

Concur. Bought my wife a Lenovo Thinkpad. In my opinion, no reason for the majority of people out there to have a MacBook, much less a MacBookPro. I personally think MacBooks just help Apple bring in those revenue dollars based on people's consumption appetite for sexy technology. MacBookPros are really for video, photo, and music professionals on the go.

Otherwise, for the average person using their computer connection for internet browsing, music and movies, PC is the way to go. It's cheaper.

Another option is just to get a tablet.

mr2step wrote in post #13545013
Macs have a useful lifespan of 3 yrs as far as Apple is concerned then it's " time to get a Mac"! They don't have that slogan for no reason afterall!

Yeah, I don't know about that. I have a 5 year old Mac Mini that's still running. Can't run Lion on it, but it does all the other things just fine. I also have the same MBP you have (15" model) and it's still chugging along for my wife.